Random Reflections
by Sailor Panda
Summary: A collection of unrelated drabbles and ficlets inspired by the Inuyasha series. Ratings vary, pairings are numerous, and canon may be abused. newest post: HIS & THEIRS It's all about the cat.
1. Parting Ways

PARTING WAYS  
  
rating: PG-13  
  
genre: angst / drama / romance / horror  
  
pairing: Inuyasha / Kikyou / Naraku  
  
summary: In the darkness of night, something is lost while vengeful plans unfold - but is anything what it really seems?  
  
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"There's no use hiding. I know you're there."  
  
At those words, a figure moved, stepping through tall grass out of the shadows of trees and into the clearing, moonlight highlighting his pale strands as he crept closer. He moved slowly, cautiously, until he came to a stop by the other standing by a mound of earth.  
  
"I knew you would come," said the pale-haired one, anger vibrating in his tone.  
  
"Oh, did you now?"  
  
He ignored the dark amusement lacing the other's tone as he knelt, getting a closer look at the grave marker adorning the mound of earth. Anger abated slightly as something softer crossed his features when he looked at it. And lightly, with the merest brushing of clawed fingertips, he touched it with a low, almost reverent whisper.  
  
"Kikyou."  
  
His companion stiffened.  
  
"It's a beautiful name," he said softly. "Just like her."  
  
"Don't you mean 'was'?"  
  
He whirled his head, giving his companion a hostile stare. "Don't make light of this, Naraku!"  
  
"I speak merely the truth, Inuyasha, though you may not care to hear it. She was a foolish woman, after all. She pledged to see both you and I dead, and yet she allowed herself to be destroyed by some lowly youkai."  
  
"She didn't 'allow' anything! She did it to save people!"  
  
"Yes, she did. Weak, sniveling cowardly humans. To give up what little life she had left for worthless beings like that, it's only to be expected that she got what she deserved for such foolish actions."  
  
"Don't act as if this doesn't touch you, Naraku!"  
  
"And why should it?"  
  
"Because she's gone! DEAD! Do you know what that means?!"  
  
"Please, calm your annoying righteous ranting. She was dead long before this, Inuyasha. Now, she's merely returned to where she should have been decades ago."  
  
A wordless growl rumbled through the night air.  
  
"Come now, don't be like that. It's not as if she's completely gone, as if you don't have some piece of her still with you. Reincarnation and all, you know? You still have that other girl with you, after all."  
  
"It's not the same. You know that."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"How could you not? You're one of the few who knows what she was like before."  
  
"Ah, yes. Before. Before I, Naraku, was created and sundered the blooming love between you and the pure pristine priestess who was not so holy in that she lessened herself to dabble with a lowly hanyou."  
  
"Bastard!"  
  
"Is that any sort of language to use before a grave? Show some respect. Or hasn't the second death of your beloved done anything to mature you?"  
  
He smirked as the white-haired hanyou rose until the two were standing face- to-face, each staring into enemy eyes for endless moments as a cloud passed over the moon and concealed them in darkness.  
  
"I came here to kill you," Inuyasha said at last, his voice tight with barely leashed fury. "I should have done it long ago, but-"  
  
"As if you could ever accomplish that!" Naraku's voice was full of disdain.  
  
"I've come close more than once," he shot back.  
  
"But close isn't enough, is it?"  
  
He growled. "Doesn't matter. I'll get other chances to deal with you."  
  
"Why not take this one? You did say you came here to kill me, didn't you?"  
  
"I did." His eyes narrowed. "But now I don't think I will, not yet anyway."  
  
"Then, you're only talk, aren't you?" he commented contemptuously. "I thought better of you. My mistake for placing my expectations too high."  
  
"The day when I take your life and take revenge for all the wrongs you've done will come, Naraku. That, I swear. But for now, I just want you to suffer and feel the pain."  
  
"Pain?"  
  
He turned to the mound of freshly turned soil, his features visibly softening with sorrow. "The pain of knowing that she's forever out of your reach now, the pain of knowing that you'll never have a chance of being with her like I once was, the pain of living without her no matter what form she's in."  
  
"Do you really think that I shall miss her that much?"  
  
"Would you bring flowers to an enemy's grave if you wouldn't?"  
  
His hands clenched on the stems of the fragile white blossoms within his grip when his companion's gaze landed on them. His dark eyes narrowed at the smirk in those golden orbs when they met his.  
  
"They're for her, aren't they?"  
  
"Believe what you will."  
  
"Say whatever you want, Naraku. But you came here to mourn. You can't fool me, not about this. You still have that piece of Onigumo's heart in you and I know you care about her, however twisted those feelings might be. You wanted her. Badly. And now you'll never have her."  
  
A dark brow arched. "How presumptuous. I fail to see how a small offering for parting ways with a fallen foe is a sign of great affection that will bring about the misery you foresee for me."  
  
"Of course you don't see, not yet. It's only begun. But when time passes without her voice, her touch, her presence, you'll know." Satisfaction curled his lips. "And you'll suffer."  
  
"Enjoy my pain, will you?"  
  
"Every moment of it," he retorted viciously. "And just when the pain begins to fade, then I'll end your miserable life."  
  
"Though I think you're mistaken in how events will unfold, I must say that I'm impressed with your plan. I didn't think you had it in you to come up with something so vengeful - or something that actually required patience."  
  
Gold eyes flashed furiously.  
  
"Such a change from your usual method, isn't it? No doubt, this development can be attributed to the pain of lost love. You're really suffering, aren't you, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Just as you will," he promised tightly, surety ringing in his tone.  
  
Then he turned away before his tattered control broke its straining leash, sparing one last glance at the grave before striding into the surrounding woods. And as the hanyou's figure disappeared from sight and all sounds of his departure faded away, leaving only one standing by the graveside once more, Naraku smiled with a coldness that chilled the air with its icy sharpness.  
  
"That fool."  
  
He could have eradicated the hanyou once and for all, had intended to when he finally revealed himself and stepped into the clearing, disturbing him and keeping him from his purpose for coming here. But then the fool had gone on and on about what it would be like to live without her, how horrible it would be, and he had changed his mind as a better idea had come to the forefront.  
  
Naraku had no desire to spare the hanyou even one moment of that suffering of which he had spoken.  
  
He laughed, the dark sound whispering through the empty stillness of the lonely night as he bent, placing the beautiful flowers he'd been holding in his grasp upon the fresh grave. If only the hanyou had known just how right he was about them, the special, rare delicate white flowers he had indeed procured just for this, just for her. They had taken a lot of effort to acquire, many would even think it an impossible task, but he always prevailed, always got what he wanted.  
  
A slash of his palm and dark drops splattered on the tender buds, staining the pure color of their petals.  
  
Overhead, the concealing clouds finally moved and the moon was free to shine, bathing the scene below in its light.  
  
And Naraku waited patiently as all he wanted was soon to be in his grasp. He laughed again, darkly, thinking that he couldn't wait to see the look on that hanyou's face when their paths would cross once more and he found out.  
  
But by then it would be far, far too late.  
  
Then he heard it, the sign he'd been waiting for as the mound began to glow, the faint stirring sounds coming from below.  
  
Smiling, he moved closer, ready to greet his love when she rose.  
  
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owari 


	2. Purple Moon

PURPLE MOON  
  
rating: G  
  
genre: parody  
  
pairing: Sesshoumaru / Kagome – sort of  
  
summary: She has what he has come for, what he longs for, what attracts him. She has...  
  
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Under the twin canopies of night sky and swaying trees, she kneels and waits.  
  
Calm...  
  
Silent...  
  
...knowing.  
  
She knows that he will come, feels it in the very marrow of her bones, in every fiber of her being.  
  
She anticipates it.  
  
And as trees sway above her while the sounds of nature pass by, still she continues to wait in endless patience. She knows him, knows that she has what he wants and that he is one who goes after what it is that he desires. She knows that he will come -  
  
- and he does not disappoint.  
  
There is a subtle shift in the air; a parting of darkness and ominous shadows, an encroaching sense of danger.  
  
She does not move.  
  
Moonlight glitters and falls...  
  
...across a purple moon...  
  
She sees, she smiles...  
  
...and she welcomes.  
  
Shadows fall away as his features come more into view, revealing his full glory bathed in the natural lights of the night. He moves, comes closer, stops before her and towers over her, features calm and cool and regal in bearing.  
  
He gazes down at her, a look meant to be intimidating, meant to send fools screaming into the darkness.  
  
She isn't bothered; she continues to smile.  
  
Gold eyes gleam in silent demand.  
  
She understands.  
  
The air vibrates with unnamed tension around them, between them, while the knowledge of the foundations upon which such rendezvous are based lies unspoken. Both know that this has not been the first of such encounters and both know that this will not be the last.  
  
She has what he has come for...  
  
She has what he longs for...  
  
She has what attracts him...  
  
He reaches out a clawed hand, the tips gleaming dangerously in the faint light.  
  
She grasps, lifts, offers...  
  
...and he takes what she offers.  
  
Their business is done. Words are unspoken as he turns and walks away, swallowed by the surrounding darkness.  
  
She remains behind, silent, smiling...  
  
...and knowing that he will return again.  
  
Because she has what he wants...  
  
She has what lures him...  
  
...obsesses him...  
  
...draws him again and again...  
  
She has...  
  
POCKY.  
  
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owari   
  
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AN: For those who may not know, pocky is a Japanese snack. It's a thin stick-like biscuit usually covered in some type of flavored fudge like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. They're very yummy! =D 


	3. Choice

CHOICE  
  
rating: PG-13  
  
genre: angst / drama  
  
pairing: Sango / Naraku  
  
summary: When faced with a devil's bargain, would you refuse - or accept? Warning: this is kinda dark; proceed at your own risk. =p  
  
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"Sango..."  
  
The sibilant whisper winds its way through the night and finds its way to her ears. She turns away as if that alone will prevent it from reaching her.  
  
But the gesture is to no avail.  
  
The soft sigh wraps around her and envelopes her in a cool darkness, in the presence of him. It's a cool blackness as dark as the night upon which this tableau is set -  
  
Upon which it is always set.  
  
"Sango..."  
  
The whisper comes again, closer this time. And she shivers as the silky tone smooths over her like a tangible caress tainted with a myriad of flavors.  
  
Sweet...  
  
Bitter...  
  
Coaxing...  
  
Corrupt.  
  
"Sango, look at me."  
  
She resists the seductiveness inherent in that low entreaty. She doesn't want to see him; she can't. Because if she does -  
  
She will see the depths to which she has fallen.  
  
And the fall is deep...  
  
Infinite darkness...  
  
"Sango..."  
  
Tears pool, refuse to fall; for she is strong and cannot show such a weakness to the enemy. But such a thing is futile for even this small act is a pretense only, a small show, a last remnant act of defiance.  
  
It can be nothing else –  
  
Because they both know that he's already won.  
  
"Sango!"  
  
She jerks, startled, stiff.  
  
The sound was sharp, piercing, and she knows that he is losing patience with her resistance. So she obeys the command in his voice; it's hopeless to continue her superficial defiance when she knows where it will lead ultimately lead in the end.  
  
It's where it always ends.  
  
Always.  
  
Reluctantly, she turns.  
  
"Good girl. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"  
  
The dark smile in his voice shows how much he is aware of just how difficult it was for her, how it tormented her. He knows –  
  
And he revels in the knowledge.  
  
A touch, a jerk, and then she is pressed against hard strength softened by white fur. Dark heat radiates outward, wraps her in its twining grip and pulls her down and in –  
  
And another piece of her dies –  
  
Just as she dies with each new encounter...  
  
"You know what to do."  
  
She does.  
  
She's done it before.  
  
She'll do it again.  
  
As the night continues winding around her, as the pressing between her and white fur continues, she sinks slowly down to the ground while he towers above her. She knows just how he wants her and she complies –  
  
For she had made a bargain with a devil –  
  
And the devil would hold her to it.  
  
"Sango..."  
  
His dark whispers entrap her, show no mercy, gives her no escape as they hold her in its grips. And she gives up and over, doing what she knows he wants her to do just as she's done before. And she thinks –  
  
Not of him who has ensnared her in his web...  
  
Not of them whom she has betrayed and will do so again...  
  
No, there is only one thought...  
  
...an always present thought that floats in her mind and guides her way, whether it be right or wrong...  
  
And that is simply –  
  
Kohaku.  
  
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owari 


	4. Just In Case

JUST IN CASE 

**rating:** PG

**genre:** General/Humor

**Summary:** Can outside help gain a man his heart's desire? Hmm…. Good question.

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He dangled the tiny bit of red charm and studied it. He cocked his head one way, then he cocked his head the other. He looked at it from the front, he looked at it from the back. He even looked at it from the sides. Still…

He just couldn't see how it's magic worked.

It was supposed to bring good luck to its holder - good luck towards the heart's fondest desire. It would be wonderful if it were true, and he dearly hoped it was, but still -

How could he tell if it worked?

He stared at the little red object in his hand. He stared at his heart's desire. Then he stared at the little red object again.

With a sigh, he supposed there was only one way to tell. Gearing up his courage, he approached his heart's desire and proceeded to do the only thing he could think of.

Rub, rub, rub… Proof was immediate.   
SLAP! 

"Houshi-sama!"

The angry cry was accompanied by an even angrier glare before his heart's desire stormed away, leaving him with a newly aching cheek.

Well, he had his answer - the charm didn't work!

He wondered if he could get a refund from the charm seller by claiming a defective product. What good was the charm if did nothing to bring him his heart's desire?

Then again, maybe it was due to wishful hormones and an overactive imagination but -

Had her slap seemed…_lighter_ than usual?

Hmm…

Perhaps he would hold onto the tiny charm a little bit longer.

Just in case.


	5. In the Dark

IN THE DARK 

rating: PG/K+

genre: angst/romance

pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome/Inuyasha/Kikyou

summary: Happiness is wonderful for some, even while it causes pain for others.

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They watched silently from the shadows.

Wishful...

Desirous...

_Envious._

Concealed by the darkness of night, hidden in the shadows of the forest, they were invisible to the the two figures situated side by side in the small grassy clearing illuminated by the light streaming from the dim half moon suspended above. It highlighted them as if shining its approval down upon the obvious emotions that flowed between them, feelings so strong that they radiated outwards and beyond, unknowingly touching those that watched them from the dark.

Those feelings were beautiful...

Warmth and light...

Happiness and peace...

Loving...

_Horrible._

To the two watchers, the tableau was a painful reminder mocking them with what once was and what might have been. A chance that was had, chance that was lost, a chance that was longed for...

A chance forever now beyond reach.

The sight of the two - leaning against one another, hands entwined, soft kisses exchanged, the joy each took in the other...they were like an arrow through the heart, sharp and piercing. They whispered and teased with hazy promises of an ephemeral dream, a possible future, of paths not taken that should have been...

Of feelings not realized until too late.

And now was much, much too late.

The figures moved, deepening the intense attention that had never left them since they had arrived. They watched as one, pale hair turned silver by the moonlight, rose and stood tall, strength radiating in his lean form as he reached out with clawed hand with an offer that was clear.

"Kagome," was all he said.

Just a word, a name, spoken softly in tone so low it was almost a whisper. Such a small thing, but it made her smile, illuminating her features with emotions that all who bore witness to it could plainly see. Unhesitatingly, she reached out in an easy motion that bespoke familiarity and trust.

And love.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

Her voice was just as soft, mirroring his, vibrating with the intensity of her emotions as he pulled her up and into his arms. The embrace was brief, but no less intense than all else that lay between them. Into one another's eyes they gazed, silent messages passing between them that only they knew. And in unspoken assent, they drew away in a motion that was perfect in its harmony, separating farther apart yet still so near.

Hand in hand, they walked in tandem into the future that they had made, promised to each other. They walked back to the home that they had built together and left the clearing and its shadows behind.

And in the shadows, a miko sighed...

And golden eyes of a Taiyoukai glinted with regret...


	6. Until That Day

UNTIL THAT DAY 

rating: G / K

genre: General

summary: Times change, and so can the definition of just what home can mean.

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The pale moon hung overhead and stars dotted the sky. Wind blew through the trees and the leaves rustled in its wake. Insects buzzed with a low hum and noises whispered in the dark with the movements of the nocturnal creatures that made the night their home.

But all made way for the figure walking amongst them.

She didn't belong.

Blades of grass bent beneath her feet as she trod a familiar path and then rose up again once her weight was gone as if it had never been. And in the distance, beyond the last stand of trees, was a familiar sight - sheltered walls and glowing warmth that bespoke of hearth and home.

There was a time when that had been her home.

People had bowed as she walked past, bestowed upon her gifts, and looked at her with reverence and warm smiles. Then that time passed and her body was given to fire and her ashes given another home. And then time changed again and now...now were she to trod down amongst that same cluster of sheltered walls and glowing hearths as she had once before, she knew she would be greeted with fearful looks and hateful curses bereft of once familiar smiles.

There was a time when that had been her home.

But that time was no longer.

Now home was a vessel of clay and stolen souls that had no place except wherever the path of vengeance guided her. And one day home would crack and crumble to dust, returning to earth as was meant to be and she...

She looked forward to that day. She looked forward to that day with the trembling hope that when it came...

Perhaps then she would finally return to where she was meant to be.

Home.


	7. What's Not Forgotten

WHAT'S NOT FORGOTTEN 

rating: PG-13 / K+

genre: General

summary: In the shade of spring, she can't help but dream of the past.

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She yawned.

Body weary from a hard day's work and a new shard found, she listened to familiar voices around her. Familiar voices bickered in the background in a familiar pattern, a buzzing drone that made her droop as she blearily blinked. She was tired and, as those familiar voices continued to bicker, she found a spot beneath a shady tree and stretched out lazily. She yawned again and enjoyed the comforting coolness of her grassy bed.

Then she slept.

And then she dreamed.

She dreamed in flashes of little memories, snippets of her younger days cast in sunlit rays. She dreamed of faces that were with her still, and faces that no longer were. She dreamed of children laughing in the sun and rolling in the grass and dancing in the rain. She dreamed of adults that smiled and cuddled and held her close in loving embrace.

She dreamed of growing older and learning.

Of blood and fighting.

Of fire and smoke and screams.

Of the barrenness emptiness left after the fall.

And then she dreamed of spring returning and restoring it all.

She dreamed of growing older still and learning still.

Of more blood and fighting.

Of gnashing teeth and cracking bones.

Of people dying and barren winter casting its pall.

And then she dreamed of spring returning and restoring it all.

She dreamed in flashes of little memories, snippets of her younger days cast in sunlit rays. She dreamed of faces that were with her still, and faces that no longer were. She dreamed of children laughing in the sun and rolling in the grass and dancing in the rain. She dreamed of adults that smiled and cuddled and held her close in loving embrace.

She dreamed –

"Kirara!"

And then she woke.

"Kirara! We're leaving!"

She blinked. She mewled. And then she stretched and yawned. Ears flicked as the cry of a familiar voice came once more and she left her shade and padded through the waving grass back to her humans again. She lived in the present, it was all she had, and left dreams of the scattered past behind her forgotten.

It was spring and the cycle was starting over again.


	8. Circle of Choices

CIRCLE OF CHOICES 

rating: PG

genre: general

summary: Two voices to every choice, the greatest difficulty lies in listening to the right one.

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When he was in his younger years, a choice was given presented with a fatherly touch on the shoulder and an expression of hope. A new addition into the family that was not…that was the choice he was given.

Faced with indecision, one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path he had longest trod, to accept and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other shrieked curses that echoed in his mind foretelling of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down a path that went against the true blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept the intrusion that should not be, an abomination that was female and human, and his decision was to –

Not.

He turned his back on the woman and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Years later, another was choice presented with a child's cry, new and just born. That choice filled the air with its unmistakable presence and a young form swaddled in cloths filled his vision.

Indecision was faced once more as one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path he had longest trod, to accept and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other screamed in dire shrieks that echoed in his mind foretelling of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down a path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept the newest intrusion, an abomination that should not be that was male and half-human, and his choice was to –

Not.

He turned his back on the newly born and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Time moved again and with it came the death of one that brought once more new choices to be made. It was, after all, with the passing of life that into his hands fell an abandoned kingdom and the remnants of unclaimed family left behind.

As it was before, one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path of old beliefs that he had longest trod, to take responsibility for both and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other murmured darkly and foretold of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line was he to venture down a path that went against the blood of his kind. One death, two choices and it was his decision whether to accept either and his decision was to –

Not. Partially.

The kingdom he took, the family he turned his back on and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Time continued to move and decades passed, battles were fought, and battles were lost. It was, however, in the wake of one battle lost that left him broken and bleeding that another choice bloomed in its stead with the encounter of a smile devoid of familiar dread. But time was unkind and the smile died with the taint of wolves and the path of choices was once more laid upon his mind.

One voice murmured softly of newly awakened urges to heed his own wants now uncertain, to bring happiness to others that sought it and perhaps one day bring his own as well. But the other muttered darkly and foretold of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line was he to venture down an unknown path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept a smile, an abomination that should not be between human and his kind, and his choice was to –

Accept. Partially.

Though the meaning he inwardly gave to that acceptance was different from what it was, he met those voices partway, and his mind rested easier for the falsity as he restored the smile and walked away…and the smile walked with him. His choice was made and he –

Did not know if he regretted it.

Now, before him was a choice once again and the weight of it tottered precariously in the wind. A spider lay dead in the distance and those remaining amongst the living cast him pleading looks and desperate pleas from faces that hovered between enemy and would-be friend. They were faces he did not wish to know, but were familiar nonetheless, and those faces were clustered around the fallen memory from a choice made long ago in a past he had wished to forget. And that choice had come full circle, the consequences of acknowledgement greater than any of those that had been present before, and it was his decision on whether to close that circle finally for all time or to allow it to open into a new path whose ending destination could not be foreseen.

One voice spoke of awakened urges still unfurling to heed an aching need hesitantly acknowledged, to bring happiness to others that sought it and perhaps take the first steps down a path to bring his own as well. But the other spoke darkly in a voice just as loud and foretold of the pain and troubles and difficulties that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down an unknown path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept and extend a benevolent hand, an abomination that should not be between him and half of his kind, and his choice was to –

Not know.

He was caught in the cusp, heavy was the weight of decision to define all that would come after with no turning back. With pleas in his ears and indecision in his veins and time escaping with the moments spent in his thoughts, he drew a sword wrapped in legacy and slashed at the air. And the air parted and hissed with half-certain desires and unbalanced choice but -

He was too late.

Time moved on, trembling hopes turned to ashes, and the dead did not rise. What might have been would now never be. What would and had yet to be might be decades passing spent looking back at what might have been.

But that would be then.

This was the now.

And cries of grief rose and echoed around him and the choice he had not made.


	9. An Honest Man

AN HONEST MAN 

rating: PG / K+

genre: romance/humor

pairings: Miroku/Sango, Kagome/Inuyasha

summary: Miroku liked to think of himself as an honest man. And just how does an honest man go about arranging some quality time with the object of his affections?

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Miroku liked to think of himself as an honest man. And, being an honest man, he could admit to himself that he was deeply hurt by the disbelief and distrust - not to mention accompanying stinging slap - plainly displayed across the pretty features of his fellow comrade and resisting object of his affections.

"But, Sango, it's the truth! It was Kagome-sama's request." He rubbed his aching cheek. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"And _you_, Houshi-sama, didn't have to grope me!"

"Perhaps not. But Kagome-sama truly did ask-"

"For you to get me alone so just she could spend some time with Inuyasha? Hah!" She crossed her arms and glared. "Try another one, Houshi-sama."

"But, Sango, Kagome-sama really-"

"Miroku-sama!"

was calling him right now.

"Miroku-sama," said person spoke breathlessly as she jogged up to them. She glanced over her shoulder where, in the distance, a certain hanyou was bickering with a certain kitsune. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, "Did you ask her yet?"

"Kagome-chan, so what Houshi-sama said was true?"

"Uh…" She blinked. Then she blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Er, yeah. Is it okay with you?"

"Well, of course. Since it's a request from you." Looking suddenly downcast and uncomfortable herself, she turned her back on them. "And...I think I owe you an apology, Houshi-sama."

"Uh, that sounds private. I should leave the two of you alone to work it out. See you later, Miroku-sama, Sango-chan."

With the taijiya's back to them, she turned to a certain monk and mouthed with a glare, _You owe me one_. Then she disappeared and left the two alone, just the way he wanted things to be. He smiled.

Yes, Miroku was an honest man.

Just sometimes…more honest to some than he was to others.


	10. Dancing on Rainbows

DANCING ON RAINBOWS 

rating: PG-13 / T

genre: drama/tragedy

pairings: left up to reader's interpretation

summary: She keeps her promises. For him.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

Tip, tip, tip she went tiptoeing across the wild garden on dancing toes. Radiant flowers in vivid colors brushed against her with golden pollen as she danced with her beloved in her arms. Round and round she twirled with him across a carpet of living rainbows, each step releasing rapturous floral scent that perfumed the air.

It smelled like him.

He always smelled of flowers, and flowers always made her think of him. With him she danced and, in her heart, she laughed with silent joy for he liked the quiet and she had forbade herself to speak.

She had promised him so.

A broken promise.

The present wavered and, for one moment, she was thrust back into the long ago past. A promise of silence broken in unbidden scream and enemy's advance. Looming features in darkest shade pushed back by a flash of pale moonlight and clash of swords. An endless fight of sparking power and anguished cries, a fallen lord and the roll of heads and falling bodies.

Crimson darkening a purple moon.

A stare of sightless gold.

Moonlight strands streaming over her arms gone slippery in crimson red, like the child she had been she'd taken what was left and ran while she could. She had wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to shriek of her loss but -

She had promised to be silent.

She would keep her promise and silent she would be.

Content, the nightmare faded away and her beautiful dream remained, flourishing in the sun. Happiness was in her arms in a world where only the two of them forever danced together in silent joy. And across a carpet of rainbows she continued to twirl, silverspun strands swirling in the air as she danced with her beloved cradled in her arms.


	11. Hero

HERO 

rating: PG / K+

genre: general/humor

pairings: none

summary: Even a hero can be misguided every once in a while.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

He had been warned about the dangers, had experienced them himself in horrifying agony more than once in his lifetime. And because of the dangers, and in the best interests concerning the safety of his other traveling companions, he decided to do something about it.

He stole.

While slumbering forms slumbered, he was as quick and quiet as could be. It wasn't long before he had what he was searching for, shimmering faintly in the night with myriad colors, and snuck quietly away where he could deal with the potentially dangerous items that threatened the well-being of his friends. Stealthily he crept to an isolated hiding place, knowing the others wouldn't understand how he was protecting them, sacrificing himself for their sakes.

Being a hero was tough.

And painful if he were discovered. He couldn't risk discovery and that left only one option.

He had to destroy the evidence.

He was in the midst of doing just that, crouched behind a thicket of concealing foliage, when the bushes around him rattled alarmingly. Fear was instant and he didn't even have time to flee before a clawed hand punched through foliage and tore it aside and then he was suddenly surrounded by a ring of faces and one such face blazing horribly with angry eyes and feral growl.

"Shippou!" was the snarling snarl. "You're not going to get away with this!"

He had been right. Discovery was a painful thing and he bore the bruises from an angry hanyou to prove it. And then he had to endure the equally painful scolding of his favorite person which was all the more hurtful though she never laid a hand on him. Her disappointment in him was a hard thing to bear for all that his actions were perfectly justified and when, asked what he had been thinking, he could only apologetically explain that he had been trying to save them all.

"After all, Kagome, I didn't want everyone to get sick on all the 'junk' food you brought."

Stomach aches were a painful thing.


	12. What's Given to Dark

WHAT'S GIVEN TO DARK 

rating: PG-13 / T

genre: horror/tragedy

pairing: Kagome/Inuyasha/Kikyou

summary: Either way, something would be lost. But which something would it be?

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

Either way, something would be lost.

Figures lay fallen, scattered across the ground in unmoving loll. Darkness hung up high, blending with the cloudless night casting its pall. And darkness hissed in sibilant tones, belying amusement lacing in poisonous weave.

"Time is running out. Now, which shall it be?"

In its grasp, darkness held two in tainted embrace bound from lips to toe in malevolent wrappings. And above those malevolent wrappings glinted twin gazes, one gleaming in the night with a calm almost cold and the other shimmering with unshed tears and silent plea.

"Choose… Which shall be freed?"

Time was the enemy and a broken warrior stood alone. And, as body groaned in pain and blood ran into the earth beneath unshod feet, heart ached with the choice that had yet to be made. Unable to bear the heavy weight of those that gazed, gold eyes closed and through bleeding cracked lips whispered a singe name.

"The choice has been made. So shall it be."

Malevolent wrappings did as bade, cracking bones and hardened clay before releasing and letting fall free. The one fell like a broken doll from darkened heights into desperate arms waiting below while the darkness left the agonies of the betrayer and betrayed behind as it stole up into the sky with its prize, cradled in tender grasp. And darkness left its tainting trail, echoing in the night with hissing laughter and staining words.

"Enjoy your choice, Inuyasha. I know I will..."


	13. Whispering Wind

**WHISPERING WIND **

rating: PG / K+

genre: General

pairings: none

summary: In the still of the night, she thinks of another and the answer to a question that she does not know.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

In the dark of the night it crept upon her, an unfamiliar emotion slipping through cracks in the quiet solitude while in the black velvet sky stars shimmered and twinkled, mocking with silent laughter. Bound to the earth by shackles she could not break, she thought of another.

Whispers in a heart that was not there echoed in the hollowness. A soul that was empty trembled with an unnamed something. In this world, the heart and soul of those who lived were entwined, always reaching for something in the distance, a yearned goal, a passionate desire.

The heart and soul of those who lived…

She had neither.

She had neither and yet…

And yet…

Deep within a yawning cavern of empty nothingness, hidden echoes reverberated within the void of hollow walls. A faint sound that would either fade into dying silence or continue to echo, louder and louder as resonance found its way out from deep confines.

Surrounded by dark, she looked into her mirror and her reflection alone stared back at her with empty eyes, providing no answer to the ephemeral question that had arisen with the other's demise. In the dark of the night it crept upon her, an unfamiliar emotion slipping through cracks in the quiet solitude, the name of it elusive, something just out of reach from her grasp.

And the stars continued to shimmer with laughter, the eye of the moon looked down upon her…the silent night watched her and knew what she did not, the answer to what she could not name.

The wind whispered over her, free in the night.

And envy crept upon her.


	14. One Certain Thing

**ONE CERTAIN THING **

rating: PG / K+

genre: general

summary: In ponderings at water's edge, only one thing is certain.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

She stands at the edge of the pond and ponders, staring at her reflection and thinking of all the meanings and uses that water could be.

Life.

And death.

Ebb.

And flow.

A treasure for a thirsty man, the downfall of a drowning man. Reflection for those that sought to meditate and soothe troubled spirits, escape for those that sought the release of life.

It is the last on her mind as she steps closer to the edge. Water laps at the vibrant silk of kimono, darkening the material as she steps further in.

"Mama! Mama! Where are you?"

A child's cry - high-pitched and terrified - halts her. In the distance she can see a small flash of white and red darting around in frantic search and knows, if she were closer, she would see fear and tears in golden eyes that mirror those of a beloved presence now forever lost to their lives. And she wavers, on the edge of choice, caught between images of golden eyes of the past and those of the present and future.

"Mama!" The terrifed cry comes again. "Where are you?"

And so her choice is made.

"Inuyasha!" she cries out and makes her presence known. "I'm here!"

Slowly, she turns away from the pond. With a tired sigh, sadness in her smile and ache in her gaze, she makes her way towards her child, each step carrying further away from the pond and a resolution that still wavers.

Only one thing is certain.

Today will not be the day that she dies.


	15. From The Heart

**FROM THE HEART **

rating: G / K

genre: Angst

pairings: none

summary: Even the darkest of emotions can fuel a wish made from the heart.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

She tried to be a good person. Someone who did was was right as best as she could. Someone that tried not to meddle too much in the lives of those she cared about, knowing that she hated it when others meddled in hers. She tried to be optimistic as much as possible, just as her mother had been and taught her to be. But no matter how good she tried to be, how positive and free of the negative -

She couldn't.

Because she hated.

Hated _it._

How often had she stared at it? How often, when those she loved were asleep, under the cover of night had she gazed at it with hateful glare while free from prying eyes?

Hate was a terrible emotion. It devoured, consumed, grew even when it was unwanted. So many times had she heard this from loved ones, told to stay away from its pitfalls when she was a little child growing up amongst sunshine and laughter and hardly any understanding at all as to what those words had meant.

But she was older now and now she knew. And deep in her heart she knew it to be true and knew she wished none at all for the taint of its touch.

She had it, nonetheless.

She couldn't help it.

She stared at _it_ and grieved and hated. For the life that might have been if it had never intruded upon the relative peacefulness of her existence. For the worries that should never have been that were now never far from her heart. For wondering if there would ever come a time when the vicious cycle of hope and hopelessness ended happily. For dreading every night that she stared at it and feared that the fervent wish she made from the bottom of her heart would one day not come true.

She stared at the well - bridge between present and past, this way of life and another - and she hated.

And wished.

And wondered.

Would her wish to see her daughter again come true once more?


	16. At It Again

**AT IT AGAIN **

rating: G / K

genre: Humor

pairings: none

summary: A battle takes place and only one can win.

oOoOoOo

OOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

Somewhere in modern day Tokyo, a battle was taking place.

_Scritch, scritch, scritch..._

_Taptaptaptaptap..._

_Scritch, scritch, scritch..._

_Taptaptaptaptap..._

_Scritch, scritch, scritch..._

_Taptaptapt-_

"Inuyasha - SIT!"

_THUD!_

"_Grrr_. Kagome, you -"

"Sit, sit, SIT!"

_THUD, THUD, THHUUUD!_

For a moment, all was silent. And then pencil was picked up and -

_Scritch, scritch, scritch..._

Now Kagome could concentrate on her studying _without_ Inuyasha's annoying finger-tapping.


	17. His & Theirs

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Requested fic written a long time ago for nelsonbannaba for the LiveJournal community, Inuyasha Flashfic. Requirements:

Characters/Pairings: Shiori+Mom or Grandfather, Tenseiga, Jaken/Jii-chan, Buyo+Inuyasha

Genre: No AU, songfic, incest, scat, watersports, cannibalism, sex-toys, 'gerbiling', pop-rocks or Lacrosse. (I suppose I'll accept cannibalism if done tastefully) If you must make Buyo+Inuyasha a romantic pairing, you must.

Max rating: Open

oOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

They were His.

It didn't matter that they walked on two legs instead of four, had fur only on their heads instead of all over, preferred splashing in water every night instead of keeping dry, or didn't seem to understand the same language that he spoke – they were still His. The mother was His Feeder but her kittens were His Boy and His Girl and the old one was His Companion who talked and petted and talked and kept him company in a way he liked, even if he didn't know what meaning lay behind what was said. Together, they were His Family and had been claimed as His since his first step into this home always scented with burning sweet-sticks and other ancient smelling things. And together they lived, he and His Family, as he grew from kitten to cat and watched His Boy and His Girl grow the same.

It made him hiss and grumble sometimes as he watched them over passing time, knowing that they didn't appreciate or even sometimes know how much effort it took to guide them and rescue them from the troubles that little kittens naturally couldn't help getting into as they continued to grow. Especially His Girl who was always scolding him when he was only trying to help but he forgave her because she was young and didn't know any better. Though he still wished she wouldn't shake her paw at him quite so much with her awful "Bad boy, Buyo!" shouted in angry yowl whenever she thought he'd done something wrong when he was only doing something right.

He was watching out for her.

He was Watcher, Boss, Protector of Home. He did what needed to be done to see His Family safe.

Part of that involved slinking with cat stealth around the grounds every night – or at least the nights where it wasn't raining wet or snowing cold – to periodically check that His Home wasn't being invaded and renew His Mark on His Territory to warn away potential territory stealers. It was on one such scouting around the territory boundaries that he scented something in the air that made him hiss with flattened ears and sent fur prickling along his spine.

It was the scent of a strange Dog.

But not _all_ Dog.

More curious than wary at the strange mixed scent part enemy and part so similar to that of His Family, he sniffed the air and let his nose lead him to the source. He found it crouched outside on all fours, peeking through the window of His Girl sleeping peacefully through the night.

Strange. A Dog that climbed like Cat and smelled part like Family.

Then the strange Dog noticed him watching and leapt back quietly to the ground. And it was odd because Dog treated him as Friend or Family and, before he could decide what to do, Dog scratched him behind the ear in the way he liked that only Family knew how to do and he couldn't help but purr his pleasure.

He decided that Dog wasn't _all_ bad.

Even if he was always watching His Girl.

Dog came back, again and again, always when dark and always watching His Girl through the window when she slept. He found it odd and didn't know why Dog never approached His Girl when he was always watching her, but as long as Dog didn't try to hurt her or His Family and kept scratching him in that way he liked, he could let Dog do whatever he wanted.

Days and nights passed many, many times and he became used to life where he watched over His Family during the light and Dog came and watched during the dark. And during the dark, they sometimes watched over His Family together as Dog scratched in that way he liked and he decided Dog was like Family too, so he made him Family Dog.

Because His Dog was just too weird for Cat.

Then His Girl fell down a hole. And she didn't come back for a long, long time.

It was Family Dog that held and scratched him during the nights he waited and yowled at that hole that took His Girl away. Though he couldn't understand the words of Family Dog any more than he could the words of His Family, he knew the meaning of comfort and he took it even though he didn't know how Family Dog could be so sure. But days and nights passed and he and Family Dog continued to wait.

Then His Girl came back.

And then Family Dog came too only…Family Dog was different.

Family Dog didn't seem to know who he was, didn't know how he liked to be scratched, and would come during the days and speak to His Family when he never had before. It took a while and more passing time and His Girl disappearing back down the hole and coming back out again and again and again. He was confused and thought he was getting too old for strange puzzles and troublesome kittens, but he eventually came to a rather startling conclusion that…

Family Dog was two.

New Family Dog was what he named the one that spoke with His Family and came with His Girl through the hole and always seemed to carry the scent of anger. Old Family Dog never went down the hole or in the house and continued to come only at night to guard and watch and spoke only with him and always seemed to bear the faint scent of sadness. And it was Old Family Dog that he decided he liked best for, even though New Family Dog started to learn the way he liked to be scratched when no one else of His Family was watching, it was New Family Dog that always took His Girl away down the hole and brought her back sometimes smelling of blood and death and nothing safe, and it was New Family Dog that always seemed to make His Girl sad and leak the salty waters from her eyes.

Sometimes, he wished Old Family Dog would show himself to His Girl. He didn't think Old Family Dog would make His Girl so sad if he did.

But days and nights continued to pass and Old Family Dog never did.

Then one day New Family Dog was gone and His Girl smelling of salty waters was back and jumped down the hole but didn't, couldn't it seemed, go away again. His Girl was so sad and yowled and he and His Family didn't know what to do as she sat by the hole and refused to move.

It was on that day that Old Family Dog finally showed himself to His Girl and His Family.

He didn't completely understand all that happened after that.

All he knew was that His Girl still yowled, but she wasn't sad. And the others of His Family yowled too, but they weren't sad. So if His Family wasn't sad, then things were finally right and he was getting old so it was best that all things were.

Days and nights continued to pass and one day Old Family Dog became just Family Dog again and moved in to His Territory and in with His Family and he allowed it because he was getting old and it was good to have help to watch the new kittens – he refused to call them pups – that came. And Family Dog always watched and prowled with him anyway and continued to scratch his ears and soon His Girl became Their Girl and His Family became Their Family. His Home became Their Home and so on was changed so that what was His became Theirs' and they continued to watch together and sometimes he thought it was right and good to share.

Just as long as Family Dog remembered who was Boss.


End file.
